This invention relates to a collapsible tubular rocking chair of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,799. More specifically, the invention relates to such a collapsible chair in which an arm unit has gripping handles extending upward from the arms and the arm unit pivots down, driven by the occupant""s pushing on the gripping handles during the exit. The arm unit element bottoms out on a stationary frame element to back the arm unit out of the way and effect the xe2x80x9claunchingxe2x80x9d of the occupant from the chair.
The prior art includes a number of patents disclosing tubular-framed chairs wherein the seat and back panel is in the form of a fabric web. Among the chairs disclosed in the prior art having such structure is the rockable chair of deck or lawn type disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,059 to W.C. Martin issued Apr. 13, 1954. Further art is my own aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,799 disclosing the collapsible chair and U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,462 disclosing an exercise apparatus.
To the best knowledge of Applicant, no such collapsible chair has been disclosed which helps the patient to xe2x80x9claunchxe2x80x9d himself, using his own muscle power. The present chair is especially adapted for use by the old and infirm.
In the present invention there is provided an improvement to a tubular rocking chair frame comprising in an elongate generally open rectangular back unit having parallel long side elements and parallel upper and lower end elements, the long sides being interrupted by selectively foldable aligned hinges. The frame further comprises a generally U-shaped arm unit having a forward bight or crosspiece and rearward legs, the arm unit legs being pivotally attached at their distal ends to the respective long sides of the back unit above the hinges. There is further a generally U-shaped rear unit having a rearward and downward bight and upward legs, the distal ends of the rear unit upward legs being pivotally attached to the respective arm unit legs spaced from the bight of the arm element. The frame also comprises a pair of linear parallel stabilizing elements, one on each side of the frame having opposite ends pivotally connected to a long side element of the back unit adjacent the lower end element and to a rear unit leg spaced from the rear unit bight.
The improvement is such structure as aforesaid wherein the lower end element of the rectangular back unit is a first inverted U-shaped element having a broad bight extending between the parallel side elements, the legs of the U-shaped element being secured to the respective lower ends of the parallel long side elements, and the rearward legs of the arm unit are provided respectively with forward and upward launching handles, the arm unit being pivotable by the occupant so that the forward bight moves down to contact and be stopped by the bight of the inverted U-shaped element.
A second, wider inverted U-shaped element may be provided having a bight longer than the bight of the first inverted U-shaped element, the bights of the inverted U-shaped elements being secured together, the legs of the second U-shaped element adapted to engage the floor outward from the lower ends of the long side elements.